During the recent Televisions Critics Association (TCA) winter press tour, actress Kerry Washington – who plays Olivia Pope on Scandal -- has previewed what fans can expect from her character when the political drama's Season 5 returns. Following her shocking confession on the winter finale, Washington teased that Liv will be a ‘changed’ woman in the new bunch of episodes.
As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Washington hints that the abortion storyline that Liv has gone through will mark a fresh era for Scandal.
“What happened at the end of the winter finale is a huge decision for her, and she’s a different woman because of it,” the actress explained.
Although Washington’s remarks can be interpreted in many ways, it seems safe to speculate at this point that Liv will choose to re-focus her energy on the things that matters to her, which is her job as a political fixer.
Actor Tony Goldwyn, the portrayer of Fitzgerald Grant, also weighed-in on how Liv’s table-turning decision will impact his character moving forward.
According to Goldwyn, Scandal will feature a six-month time jump on its midseason premiere. With this, viewers will find everyone ‘evolved’ into the next chapter of their lives.
“Fitz is unfortunately alone without Mellie [Bellamy Young], without Olivia, and sort of without Cyrus [Jeff Perry] in the sense that the trust between Cyrus and Fitz is broken,” the actor shared in another report from Entertainment Weekly.
Mellie’s political ambition will also be one of the highlights on Scandal’s second half. Per actress Bellamy Young, her character is determined to steal the presidency from Fitz.
To that end, she’ll do whatever it takes to get Olivia Pope as one of her allies. "Mellie wants to be president, and she knows that the best person to help her achieve that goal is Olivia Pope," Young told TV Line in a report.
Creator Shonda Rhimes has yet to release a comment on these latest scoops about the Kerry Washington-starred drama.
Scandal season 5 resumes Thursday, Feb. 11th on ABC.
